Senior adults are often an excellent source of knowledge and first-hand history.

The Cornell Legacy Project, led by Karl Pillemer, a professor in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University as well as the Weill Cornell Medical College, recognizes members of the aging population as some of the wisest people around.

The Legacy Project takes a look at American life through the lens of an older demographic. From New Year’s resolutions to life-long values, seniors give their advice to the Legacy Project, and younger audiences can gain perspective from a those who have “seen it all.” The Project asked more than 1,200 older people, “What are the most important lessons you have learned over the course of your life?”

In order to better sell seniors housing, a sales counselor should get to know their client by using a prospect-centered approach. Perhaps most important is for the counselor to listen to and understand the core values their prospect may have. Rather than focus on ailments or ways that the property can provide services, salespeople need to address the basic motivators and character of the prospect they are working with.

The Cornell Legacy Project has succeeded in bridging the gap between a younger generation and the older adults who, perhaps contrary to popular belief, have a lot to offer in terms of life lessons. Understanding seniors can help salespeople become better at selling and give people in general an enriched outlook on life. To learn more about this research, take a look at Pillemer’s book, 30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans.